Midway sewer line complete, ready to go online in two weeks

Published: Monday, June 6, 2011 at 12:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, June 3, 2011 at 3:34 p.m.

As Midway’s first sewer line goes online in the next two weeks, the town’s business owners will soon receive notices that they will be required to pay a one-time fee to cover the cost of putting the system in the ground.

Ryan Ross, Midway’s town administrator, said Friday that construction of the sewer line has been completed. Only minor punch list items, such as redoing asphalt and turning on power to the sewer line’s pump station, remain, he said.

“It’ll be online in two weeks,” Ross said. “That’s what our engineer, the county and all the inspectors are saying.”

The new line runs from the south end of town, up the east side of U.S. Highway 52 to Hickory Tree Road. From Hickory Tree Road, the line runs to Old U.S. Highway 52 and eventually connects and ends at Gumtree Road. The line is Midway’s first major sewer system, which town officials expect will spur commercial development.

Construction for the sewer line started Oct. 27, 2010. Ross said the project is on schedule. For the project, the Wooten Co. in Asheboro served as the engineer, and Yates Construction in Stokesdale was the contractor.

Midway received a 10-year loan of $933,500 for the construction and engineering fees. Ross said business owners will have to pay a mandatory one-time fee to hook onto the sewer line. He said the mandatory fees are expected to total between $350,000 and $400,000 to help pay off the loan.

“Everybody who hooks onto the sewer will be just like anybody else hooking onto the sewer,” Ross said. “There is always the monthly bill, so that capital recovery is just a one-time thing.”

Ross said the cost of the one-time fee will vary, depending on the size of the business and its sewer usage. He said businesses will have six months to hook onto the sewer.

“Just because our tax rate is low and we’ve got a pretty solid budget right now, we don’t want to jeopardize that,” the town administrator said. “We are just wanting to recoup some of the money. We are not dead set on recouping all of it, but we are wanting to recoup some money.”

Under an agreement with Davidson County, the county will be responsible for maintaining the sewer line. Davidson County commissioners previously agreed to allow Midway an average of 50,000 gallons of sewer per day for 10 years. He said if the town needs more sewer, it can go back to the county.

Town officials hope the sewer line will help attract a grocery store and fast food restaurants, amenities that Midway does not have. Ross said the town has received strong interest from a well-known grocery store chain. If the town lands the grocery store, it may very well have a domino effect with a fast food restaurant, Ross said.

Ross said the town also has received interest from restaurants, but those companies are waiting to hear word on what grocery store is considering a move to Midway. He said the town has been working with the grocery store chain for two to three months.

“Hopefully, that will work out in the next few months,” Ross said.

As new businesses locate to Midway, they also will be required to pay a one-time fee to hook onto the sewer, Ross said.

“It’s just to help put money back into our fund balance, so we have a cushion of money there for future projects,” he said.

Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or at darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.

<p>As Midway's first sewer line goes online in the next two weeks, the town's business owners will soon receive notices that they will be required to pay a one-time fee to cover the cost of putting the system in the ground.</p><p>Ryan Ross, Midway's town administrator, said Friday that construction of the sewer line has been completed. Only minor punch list items, such as redoing asphalt and turning on power to the sewer line's pump station, remain, he said.</p><p>“It'll be online in two weeks,” Ross said. “That's what our engineer, the county and all the inspectors are saying.”</p><p>The new line runs from the south end of town, up the east side of U.S. Highway 52 to Hickory Tree Road. From Hickory Tree Road, the line runs to Old U.S. Highway 52 and eventually connects and ends at Gumtree Road. The line is Midway's first major sewer system, which town officials expect will spur commercial development.</p><p>Construction for the sewer line started Oct. 27, 2010. Ross said the project is on schedule. For the project, the Wooten Co. in Asheboro served as the engineer, and Yates Construction in Stokesdale was the contractor.</p><p>Midway received a 10-year loan of $933,500 for the construction and engineering fees. Ross said business owners will have to pay a mandatory one-time fee to hook onto the sewer line. He said the mandatory fees are expected to total between $350,000 and $400,000 to help pay off the loan.</p><p>“Everybody who hooks onto the sewer will be just like anybody else hooking onto the sewer,” Ross said. “There is always the monthly bill, so that capital recovery is just a one-time thing.”</p><p>Ross said the cost of the one-time fee will vary, depending on the size of the business and its sewer usage. He said businesses will have six months to hook onto the sewer.</p><p>“Just because our tax rate is low and we've got a pretty solid budget right now, we don't want to jeopardize that,” the town administrator said. “We are just wanting to recoup some of the money. We are not dead set on recouping all of it, but we are wanting to recoup some money.”</p><p>Under an agreement with Davidson County, the county will be responsible for maintaining the sewer line. Davidson County commissioners previously agreed to allow Midway an average of 50,000 gallons of sewer per day for 10 years. He said if the town needs more sewer, it can go back to the county.</p><p>Town officials hope the sewer line will help attract a grocery store and fast food restaurants, amenities that Midway does not have. Ross said the town has received strong interest from a well-known grocery store chain. If the town lands the grocery store, it may very well have a domino effect with a fast food restaurant, Ross said.</p><p>Ross said the town also has received interest from restaurants, but those companies are waiting to hear word on what grocery store is considering a move to Midway. He said the town has been working with the grocery store chain for two to three months.</p><p>“Hopefully, that will work out in the next few months,” Ross said.</p><p>As new businesses locate to Midway, they also will be required to pay a one-time fee to hook onto the sewer, Ross said.</p><p>“It's just to help put money back into our fund balance, so we have a cushion of money there for future projects,” he said.</p><p>Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or at darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.</p>